jeannine

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jeannine has posted 1,236 annotations/comments since 16 June 2004.

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First Reading

About Saturday 9 August 1662

Jeannine  •  Link

Lack of sleep---I doubt that this appears in the Book of Common Prayer (but maybe our resident expert Australian Susan can confirm--Susan --it might be hand written in the notes somewhere) but my recollection of the Creation of the world includes that line , "And on the 8th day he created coffee....." so not only are Sam's short sleep requirements notewothy but the apparent lack of a good morning jolt of caffeine to give him a wake up boost is really amazing.

About Saturday 9 August 1662

Jeannine  •  Link

Terry--Sam wanting children...I've ALWAYS thought that Sam had wanted children and think that his not having them was a tremendous sadness to him (and to Elizabeth)....I also know that he can (and will... a little spoiler) have some thoughts of jealousy to come... but it's the part of real "fondness" or "empathy" (like what Cumgranissalis refers to above) towards his wife that doesn't come through too much in his writing of the diary. She so often is physically there in person (mentioned in his writing) but not desribed with the depth and feeling that he expresses for others (except when he's angry with her!). So she's gone, he's melancholy for a day and then....??? it'll be interesting if mention ofher pops up in his writing over the time she is away.

About Saturday 9 August 1662

Jeannine  •  Link

Robert--This is what I thought--how can he function on 4 hours of sleep a night--God Love him, I sure can't--I'd be a total moron, or wait, ooops, perhaps lately I am!
As for Elizabeth-- I think that Sam follows that 60's song--"If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with"....But alas, being a man of the 17th century--he'd be devastated if Elizabeth returned the treatment in his direction--the old double standard would apply no doubt. It's times apart like this that I truly wished we could hear her side to understand the dynamics of the relationship and how it is for them to be apart for a long time.
At least today he's so engulfed in his learning that his mind is concentrating on that and not looking for little maidens....

About Saturday 9 August 1662

Jeannine  •  Link

Ok, maybe because I am sleep deprived these days I am trying to figure this out--Sam has been waking up at 4 am these days, what time did he usually go to bed??? I am wondering how many hours of sleep he usually gets.

On a totally unrelated note--it would be nice to hear if he misses his missus?? No real clue about this.

About Friday 8 August 1662

Jeannine  •  Link

Todd & Glyn, Thanks for the comments--I agree with both. Todd-- of note, in the case of Charles II, who could not say no to anyone, he basically gave a great deal to unworthy people who betrayed him in the end. It speaks loudly to that "tough love" attitude that teaching respect comes from a sharp adherence to values and not letting people walk all over you. Also, to Glyn, today I was especially aware to wait until "after work" to post my comment--I only hope that Sam's thoughts of wisdom for the day don't turn away any potential annotators who then choose not to peek at the diary during work!

About Friday 1 August 1662

Jeannine  •  Link

One more thought... On a somewhat unrelated note but depiciting the plight of a female servant (Griet)--the movie "The Girl With the Pearl Earring" takes place during this period, although not in England, but in Holland. In the movie there is a scene where van Ruijen, a wealthy & lecherous patron of the artist Vermeer sets his sights on Griet. Van Ruijen stalks her until finally cornering her while she's hanging out laundry. Griet's fear of agressively fighting him or even crying out loudly in self-defense gives a rather sickening potrayal of the plight of far to many of these poor young girls whose need for maintaining a job and feeding themselves overrode what we'd consider today a person's right to say no and be respected. The movie also highlights a visual picture of the housing, life, drudgery, etc. of a maid and the running of a standard household. The portrayal of the household probably bears similarities to that of the Pepys, and unfortuantely the actions of the patron probably reflect the actions of our man Sam, a man we'd all like to think better of than we may with today's entry.

Movie (and book) are avalable at Amazon in the US and/or UK.

About Friday 1 August 1662

Jeannine  •  Link

Unfortunately for the female servants of this period the treatment that Susan provided above (Tomilin's books) is pretty common (albeit quite sad). In Antonia Fraser's the "Weaker Vessel", she gives examples where sometimes a maid would be "lucky" and deliver a baby boy and the master would accept it --for a girl, it was dismissal and degradation of the maid (even if she had been forced). Basically, the plight of women at this time offered them little choice in life. As they were not educated they did not have many choices. By law they were considered a man's "property" as in daughter, sister, wife, or (stretched definition) a maid. For the lucky Catholics, there was the option of the convent to escape being "owned". For others, there was prostitution or some menial other employment, if they were lucky. It wasn't until the reign of Charles II that women were allowed on the stage, therefore extending the ability to self-support (again, usually tied to a man in this role too). Overall, their fate generally depended on the man who "owned" them. They had no "voice" and pretty much had to accept the treatment handed out. In Sam's case, Jane escapes this situation only becasue of his fear of being "found out" and having his true personality revealed. A credit to Jane's personality as she somehow raised enough doubts in Sam to make him fear that he wouldn't be able to get away with that type of behavior with her.
Sadly for the entire culture Fraser points out that the best role for a female to have at this time was that of a wealthy widow--able to self support and a "loop hole" in the laws where male "ownership" no longer applied.

About Biographies of related people

Jeannine  •  Link

The Life of Edward Earl of Clarendon by Sir Henry Craik

Craig's two volume work covers the life and loyalties of Edward Hyde who sacrificed a great deal though his dedication to Charles I & II ("CI" and "CII" herein). He is one of the "older Royalists" who supported both father and son and played a key role in the Restoration of CII. Volume I covers the period prior to the Restoration, highlighting Hyde's family background, marriages, schooling, etc. and his unfailing loyalty and respect for CI, despite his faults. The pages devoted to the death of CI and the comments drawn from Clarendon's own hand (see his autobiography review) are worth the read in itself. Hyde's strong morality, blunt honesty, dedication to hard work and uncorruptable values made him a strong fit for CI, not only as a King but also as a human being. After his death Craig speaks that "Amidst his grief for the loss of a master to whose faults he was not blind, but whose person he was passionately attached, Hyde found himself immersed in increasingly irksome duties at the exiled Court of his successor." (V.1:p315). Hyde remains faithful through CII's exile leaving behind his family, losing his fortunes and trying to manage and maintain CII through the many years away from England. Vol. I ends with the death of Cromwell.

Volume II covers the Restoration, onwards. Clarendon, as he is now known, tries desperately to "restore" England to a sense of dignity and worth that he experienced under CI, but clearly the differences between father and son make his success nearly impossible. Also, the fit between old world morality and the loose, licentious, corrupt environment of CII's court are clearly not a moral fit for Clarendon, whose blunt honesty doesn't bode well on the ears of one who likes to live a life of debauchery. The heartbreaking secret marriage of his most beloved daughter Anne to James, the Duke of York is one of his life's biggest disappointments and clearly sets the stage for further backbiting and political turmoil.

Clarendon never develops the "tact" or manipulative persuasiveness that his enemies possess in dealing with CII and the rising tension between the two escalates at every step. Clearly one of Clarendon's biggest "failures" to "happiness" in this time was his sense of loyalty to CI, which wouldn't let him leave the service of his son. Clarendon just kept trying to bring sense and maturity to a court which reflected neither. Over time his enemies prevail and he becomes the scapegoat for many of CII's failures. False charges are bought against him and he is exiled. CII's treatment to Clarendon, which was never "great" while in his service becomes truly despicable and remains so. In his final years and near death, Clarendon writes to CII begging to be allowed to come home to die in his own country with his children. The request isn't even given the dignity of a response by the monarch that Clarendon had sacrificed so dearly for.

Both volumes of this book can best be found in the library or the used book search site at
http://www.usedbooksearch.co.uk/b…

Volume II, which deals with the Restoration onward is available online at gutenberg (thanks to Dirk, guru of abundant information!! for finding this url)
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/66…

About Biographies of related people

Jeannine  •  Link

The Life of Edward Earl of Clarendon, Lord High Chancellor of England, and Chancellor of the University of Oxford. Containing and account of the chancellor's life from birth to the Restoration in 1660 and a continuation of the same to his banishment in 1667. Written by himself. By Edward Hyde, Earl of Claredon.

Hyde's 3 volume autobiography is fascinating and MUCH quoted by historians. To experience life though his eyes offers a view of the time, the politics, the people, etc. right from the source of a man in the middle of much of that history. His perspective, albeit from an "older Royalist" sheds insight behind the scenes of the monarchy in a different fashion than Pepys--while Pepys ... lived... with the Navy, Clarendon "lived" with the monarchy, witnessing incidents firsthand which other writers of the time would often hear about and therefore report on second hand. Clarendon has a strong sense of people and his characterizations are remarkable and most likely quite "fair handed". He is able to look at a person he personally abhorred (ie. Cromwell) and paint a characterization of the man with all of his virtues and his flaws. The only drawback to this work, which is highly forgivable, is that historically some facts may be off slightly (dates, etc.) as it was written in his exile where he may not have had all of his notes.

For avid readers of the Restoration period you will no doubt recognize quotes taken from this volume as Clarendon's writing style, accurate characterizations and eye for detail are more than worth the read.

The best place to find a copy would be the library...in my case I was able to do this but with library restricted access only due to the fragility and age of the book. For the die hard historian with a bigger budget, it's also available "new" on a print to order basis. Information on older copies and the print to order version can be found at
http://www.usedbooksearch.co.uk/b…

About Sunday 27 July 1662

Jeannine  •  Link

"Singing well but with no skill"....Obviously Sam has forgotten the most important element to ensure a most successful experience of singing in the park..... a nice bottle of wine! This would certainly have made the singing less "false" and the memory of hearing it more enjoyable......

About Saturday 26 July 1662

Jeannine  •  Link

Thanks Susan - When Henry did divorce Katherine of Aragon he did so by creating his own church (Church of England). Flash forward to Charles, the head of the Church of England in a highly anti-Catholic nation. He married Catherine twice--first secretly as a Catholic becasue she asked him to do so out of respect for her faith, then publicly under the Church of England. If Charles wanted to divorce her-it may have been revealed in the process that he HAD married her twice, which would have been a horrible reflection back on him--the head of the Church of England taking part in a Catholic sacrament. Per the comment you provided on baptism above "At this time, to have a child openly baptised in the Catholic tradition was a flagrantly anti-establishment act on the part of so prominent a figure" Charles would have been inviting disaster to entertain a divorce or annulment as his own duplicity could have been revealed in the process.

About Saturday 26 July 1662

Jeannine  •  Link

Kilroy--regarding "Fitz" in Ireland. Clarendon and Ormond (Irish Ambassador) were best friends. During the time that land is Ireland was being parceled out, Lady Castlemaine was adamant to grab what she could. In true "court politics" fashion, Clarendon and Ormond both report (separately) doing all they could to "stall" any of her efforts for land grabbing (and other things too). At one point she became so inflamed that she came across Ormond in an apartment of the court and as Carte reports, "fell upon him with a torrent of abusive language, loaded him with all the reproaches that the rancour of her heart could suggest, or the folly of her tongue could utter, and told him in fine, that she hoped to live to see him hanged. The duke heard all unmoved, and only made this memorable reply: That he was not in so much haste to put an end to her days, for all he wished with regard to her was, that he might live to see her old." She did get land in Ireland, but not without the process of working through the roadblocks set up be her enemies.

About Saturday 26 July 1662

Jeannine  •  Link

Australian Susan, "Charles and Divorce"
First to note in Charles' "favor", not only did he never divorce Catherine but he also adamantly defended her when she was falsely accused in the Popish Plots. Historians "debate" his motivation for his "tie" to her most often citing "guilt" as his motivator. Gray ("The King's Wife") points out he did have some protective feelings for her, and that it was "utterly repugnant to his conception of the royal perogative that political agitators should be allowed to interfere with the succession. Moreover, he knew all to well that his own fortunes were tied up with Catherine's."(p. 193) Her secretary had been heavily invovled in the negotiations of the Secret Treaty of Dover, and Charles could not risk having this treaty unmasked. Her brother Dom Pedro always had close ties with events in England, which added additional support for her. Finally, Gray cites her character.

Hutton (Charles II")addresses the question in detail commenting that it wasn't personal affection as he complained about James' stupidity, Catholic faith, and of his siblings loved him the least. He cites the "sanctity of kingship", "descent of blood", "sense of family" and perhaps his experiences in exile. He adds "perhaps his brother and wife were precious to him, whatever their failings, simply becasue they were his....[and]the appreciation with which he always tried to reward loyalty and obedience, and the converse, the hatred with which he regarded those who crossed his will, or failed him". He explains that James and Catherine never disobeyed his wishes while Monmouth [his illegitimate first born son who most wanted made King instead of James]continuously did. His final reason is "political caution" (p 402-402).

Personally, (and I'm no historian for sure )two elements may also have supported his tie to Catherine. Her role as Queen was to deliver an heir. She miscarried 4 times and in one instance, almost died in the process. Her illness is said to have deeply affected him as she is said to have expressed sincere love and devotion to him as she prepared to die. Grammont (Memoirs) says she had no regrets to die except to leave him. She knew he didn't love her and she hoped that upon her death he could find a wife to please him and successfully bless him with the children that God had denied her to bring to him. Over the period of this illness, Pepys will report that Charles' hair turned grey. In her own way, Catherine may have touched emotions in him that nobody else ever would.

The second area to consider is the question of Charles' leaning towards the Catholic faith. Ormond (Irish ambassodor) reports at one time that he saw Charles in a Catholic church. It's actually been questioned by some as to when he formally converted. His deathbed conversion scene is widely reported but there are questions as when he actually became a Catholic, and/or if he truly always was one in his heart. If he did intend in his lifetime to formally convert to the Catholic faith, he could not be divorced.

About The Bedchamber

Jeannine  •  Link

Austrailan Susan writes: "I know Charles was selfish, but, to his credit, despite it being put to him, he never contemplated divorcing Catherine for not having children, but just accepted the situation and its inevitable consequence of having his brother as King, whom he was aware was unsuitable."

Susan, first to note in Charles' "favor", not only did he never divorce Catherine but he also adamantly defended her when she was falsely accused in the Popish Plots. Historians "debate" his motivation for his "tie" to her most often citing "guilt" as his motivator. Gray ("The King's Wife") points out he did have some protective feelings for her, and that it was "utterly repugnant to his conception of the royal perogative that political agitators should be allowed to interfere with the succession. Moreover, he knew all to well that his own fortunes were tied up with Catherine's."(p. 193) Her secretary had been heavily invovled in the negotiations of the Secret Treaty of Dover, and Charles could not risk having this treaty unmasked. Her brother Dom Pedro always had close ties with events in England, which added additional support for her. Finally, Gray cites her character.

Hutton (Charles II")addresses the question in detail commenting that it wasn't personal affection as he complained about James' stupidity, Catholic faith, and of his siblings loved him the least. He cites the "sanctity of kingship", "descent of blood", "sense of family" and perhaps his experiences in exile. He adds "perhaps his brother and wife were precious to him, whatever their failings, simply becasue they were his....[and]the appreciation with which he always tried to reward loyalty and obedience, and the converse, the hatred with which he regarded those who crossed his will, or failed him". He explains that James and Catherine never disobeyed his wishes while Monmouth [his illegitimate first born son who most wanted made King instead of James]continuously did. His final reason is "political caution" (p 402-402).

Personally, (and I'm no historian for sure )two elements may also have supported his tie to Catherine. Her role as Queen was to deliver an heir. She miscarried 4 times and in one instance, almost died in the process. Her illness is said to have deeply affected him as she is said to have expressed sincere love and devotion to him as she prepared to die. Grammont (Memoirs) says she had no regrets to die except to leave him. She knew he didn't love her and she hoped that upon her death he could find a wife to please him and successfully bless him with the children that God had denied her to bring to him. Over the period of this illness, Pepys will report that Charles' hair turned grey. In her own way, Catherine may have touched emotions in him that nobody else ever would.

The second area to consider is the question of Charles' leaning towards the Catholic faith. Ormond (Irish ambassodor) reports at one time that he saw Charles in a Catholic church. It's actually been questioned by some as to when he formally converted. His deathbed conversion scene is widely reported but there are questions as when he actually became a Catholic, and/or if he truly always was one in his heart. If he did intend in his lifetime to formally convert to the Catholic faith, he could not be divorced.

About Saturday 26 July 1662

Jeannine  •  Link

Terry--Thanks for the comment --regarding "Winners in the Long Run", you ask a very good question. Here's a quick summary.
Losers:
1. Charles-selfish,debaunched life, lazy, one greedy mistress to the next, no legitimate children, trusted nobody and was trusted by none, betrayed by his favorite son Monmouth and most of his mistresses and "friends" (Buckingham, etc.)over time (never by Catherine). He didn't expect much from life and didn't value "people" but rather used them as they used him. Died in his 50's, buried alone without fanfare or grandeur.
2. Castlemaine--her reign will take an ego downshift as Charles adds to his mistresses. She'll accumulate wealth and have a life of turmoil and anger-just a hateful and spiteful person. Her children don't amount to much -- one of them is just like her--they actually both will have an affair with Ralph Montague at the same time, which she'll expolde over (the apple didn't fall far from the tree!). Treats her husband like dirt, when he dies he leaves her nothing. In old age, marries a bigamist half her age who is abusive to her (not 100% clear in what way).
3. Clarendon--Had loved Charles I, devoted 14 years to Charles II in exile, sacrificed so much for him too. Drove the restoration efforts for Charles, ongoing headaches given to him to resolve in Scotland, best friend (Ormond) moved to Ireland. Gets blamed for things he never did--scapegoat for Catherine's childlessness, Frances Stuart's marriage & Dutch War. Is exiled--after 7 years away writes to Catherine, Charles and James (Duke of York) beggging to come home to England to die with his children. None of his letters are answered. Dies in exile.
4. Catherine--lived through Hell in England, silently, with dignity and grace. Sincerely tried her best to be a good wife to a totally selfish husband. After Charles death remains in England for 7-9 years for numerous reasons (legal and political issues won't allow her to go home). Finally returns home & receives a hero's welcome.Found a close, warm friendship with her sister in law and brother Pedro. Served as Regent at age 66.At her death she was buried next to her brother Theo, who she loved dearly. Maybe her peace was to finally rest her head with someone she loved next to her--something that she never got in England.
Sadly, the only real winner seems to have been Portugal (and therefore by default, perhaps Catherine).